sweet_dream

I'm glad you posted the review. Its a different type of review but still convey all most of the key points. So, you normally writes a review for every drama you watch? That is lot of dedication honestly. Its not worth it. It's better to move on quickly and start a new drama.

Yeah, I agree. They could have introduced the political explanation a bit earlier, not at the end when you don’t care about it anymore. Anyway, your comment already reads like a review, so copy‑paste is totally fine. As for me, I don’t think I’ll write a review now. If I start, I don’t think I can stop writing, lol. There are just too many things in my mind. I’d rather skip it and move on to the next drama.

Hi Enigma, excellent review. It hurts a bit to see that the drama I love has so many problems, but I still liked the first arc too much, so I gave it a 9/10. As we talked about this yesterday, I really wish they had written and filmed the military arc differently. I wanted to see Chang Yu as someone who is strong not just because she holds the title of general, but because of her growth, her battles, her life experience, and her leadership. That’s how she could have become a truly powerful character. One or two lucky wins don’t make her strong or worthy. I also wish the ML had more screen time and a stronger presence on the battlefield, instead of us only hearing about him through other characters. It was such a wasted opportunity. The drama had every potential to be great, but somehow it left us with a bitter taste.

And I have to mention the last arc as well. Everything about it felt inconsistent, poorly written, and very underwhelming. But honestly, I didn’t care much by then because the weak writing had already been obvious for the last 10+ episodes.

Overall, I still gave it a high rating because the first arc was truly special to me. Since you’ve already written this comment, you can easily turn it into a full review. Comments get buried, but reviews stay. Hope you consider it

The first 17 episodes were magical, and episodes 18 to 24 were still great. Then the fall happened. Choppy editing, unrealistic characterizations, inconsistent plots, and faulty narrative choices pulled the drama down, and it never fully recovered. The magic from those early episodes was gone.

Still, we did get a happy ending. Overall, it’s a 9/10 drama. I genuinely wished I could give it an 11/10 based on how strong the beginning was, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Even so, this drama remains one of my favorites and is, so far, the best drama of 2026.

You’re a novelist/author yourself, so your standards are naturally different from ours. Even I can see a lot of problems with the military arc. I was honestly surprised by how stark the difference was compared to the earlier Lin’an arc. I really can’t fathom what happened to the screenwriter. It’s sad, because this drama had so much potential. I also watched some of the interviews. The director really did demand a lot from the actors, just like you mentioned. Now that you point it out, it doesn’t seem very professional.

Well, for us viewers, it’s still just a drama—we’ll forget about it after a few days. Thanks for the discussion. I read earlier in the comments that you have some health issues. It’s probably better not to bother yourself too much over this drama. Just move on to the next one and spend your time wisely. I tell myself the same thing too, lol.

Hope the drama has a good ending. Even though I have some complaints, I still like it overall. And I agree with you—it’s so hard to find unbiased reviews these days. I see the same pattern on almost every drama page: two extreme groups. One group dislikes the drama and tries every possible way to downplay it. The other group loves it so much that they refuse to acknowledge any flaws.

But discussing a drama’s faults is important. It helps future viewers set realistic expectations. What’s funny (and a bit sad) is how quickly fans label others as “haters,” even when some of those people are just offering constructive criticism. In the end, they behave just like the actual haters—they just feel justified because they’re the majority on the drama page. I get it, though. It’s hard to hear negative things about a drama you love. I used to feel the same way. But these days, I honestly don’t care as much. Let’s see how it ends. No matter what, this drama was great up until the 20‑plus episodes, and it’s still one of my favorite dramas of the year.

Well, writing a review takes extra time and effort, while comments are easy because you just write what you feel in the moment. Maybe it’s not worth it for this drama. There will be more than 200 reviews anyway, and people might not even notice what you wrote after spending your precious time. But combining your comments into a review sounds like a good idea.

I’ve seen your other reviews before, and I really liked them. If you’ve already written something for this drama, please do share it.

Thanks! Well, I thought I was the only one who had issues with them. I’d really prefer if they gave the couple more private moments instead of wasting screentime on them.

Yes, I feel the same way. I miss the private moments between the couple, and seeing the Pig Squad get unnecessary screentime really doesn’t sit well with me.

Hi Megumi, good to see you here. This is one of my favorite dramas, though I still have plenty of complaints about it, lol. I’m really excited for the upcoming drama Love Beyond the Grave. Hope to see you there!

Well, I see it a bit more objectively and differently. From what I can tell, having them around her doesn’t actually have a positive effect. She should at least have someone with real military experience beside her. All the Pig Squad members come across as goofy and unserious. Combined with Chang Yu, the whole squad ends up looking like a joke. And honestly, I’m not sure how much growth we’re supposed to see from them. In Lin’an, they were beaten by some old folks (even though the ML helped in that fight). Still, they shouldn’t have been defeated that badly. Yet now they’re seventh‑grade Imperial Guards—at least the Jin guy is. How are we supposed to believe that? It’s even harder to accept than Chang Yu becoming a general with so little experience. Normally, an official of the seventh rank would need solid fighting skills and strong military discipline. I barely see a trace of either from them. Anyway, this is just my opinion. Maybe I’m one of the few who feels this way.

Yes, I feel the same. It’s fine to have friends around you, but he’s taking everything for granted and behaving in ways he really shouldn’t.

Well, I agree. It’s annoying. I also don’t like his arrogance or his behavior. The way he talks to the ML and his superiors is way beyond his league.

Maybe this isn’t a popular opinion, but I think the Pig Butcher Squad is basically filler addition to the story. They absolutely don’t add anything to the story besides some comedic relief. Some might argue that Mandi’s death was important for Chang Yu, but honestly, if it’s her job to kill the enemy commander, she should be focused on that regardless. Even without Mandi, her mission shouldn’t change.

It would’ve been fine if they were introduced briefly and then went their separate ways. But they ended up getting way more screentime than necessary. I would’ve much preferred that time be used for private moments between the main couple.

I actually liked the Pig Squad at first, but now the comedy feels forced and borderline cringe. And this Jin guy—he’s so arrogant and delusional. The way he talks to the ML is completely unacceptable. I don’t understand why the FL keeps letting him get away with it. Chang Yu in Lin’an would never tolerate that. Honestly, Jin deserves a slap from someone. Other male characters got slapped; he definitely earned one with his behavior

Dang, 68 episodes. Also, the reviews don’t seem good. I’ll pass on this for now—maybe another time. Thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks! I watched all except Coroner's Diary. I will probably watch that. Heard good things about that.

Any suggestions for a good historical romance drama? Preferably without a love triangle.

Is this emperor the most incompetent emperor in C‑drama history? lol

Thanks!